of which the water came gurgling
swiftly. Here my uncle stopped for the load-bearers to have a short
rest before we began to climb upward to Puma Vale, as I had dubbed it.

Pete and Cross used their loads as seats, and the latter, who had not
seen the place before, sat looking about attentively, while my uncle
took out his little double-glass and examined the towering mountain for
signs of birds upon the ledges or trees which clung to the sides.

The carpenter turned to me and nodded.

"Strange pretty place, Mr Nat," he cried, "and it's just like Pete said
it was. Going up yonder to try and find the river again farther on,
aren't we?"

"Yes, and I think we shall find it."

"Wouldn't it be better to keep on up it? Should be sure of it then."

"But don't you see that we can go no farther?" I said wonderingly.

"No, sir, I don't. Water's not above eighteen inches deep, and it's
nice sandy bottom."

"But it nearly touches the top of the arch," I said.

"Just there it do, sir, but that's only the doorway; it may be ever so
high inside. P'raps I'm wrong, though. You've tried it, then?"

"What, tried to get under that horrible dark arch? Oh, no!"

"Why not?" said the man coolly. "I don't see nothing horrid. Dessay
it'll be dark, but we've a lanthorn."

"But we should have to wade, and in the darkness we might go down some
horrible hole."

Cross shook his head.

"Nay," he said; "you might do that if the water was running the other
way downward, but we should have to go up stream with the water coming
to us. We shouldn't find any holes; what we should find more likely
would be waterfalls, and have to climb up 'em."

"What's that?" cried my uncle, who had caught part of what was said, and
he was told the rest.

"Let's have a look, Nat," he said, and slipping off our boots and
stockings we waded on over the soft sand to where the water came rushing
out through the arch, stooping down and peering in as we listened to the
gurgling and whispering of the water.

"Shall we have the lanthorn, and I'll stoop down and see if the roof
gets higher farther in?" I said.

"Would you mind doing it?" said my uncle.

"I don't think I should like it much," I said; "but I'll try."

"Let me go, Master Nat, sir," said Pete eagerly; "I won't mind."

"Sounds as if there's plenty of room inside, sir," said Cross, who had
followed our example and waded in.

"Let's see," said my uncle, stooping down, after cocking h